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Type of Comment
Exchange Level
Address Level
Determining exchange level and sometimes address level required following entire comment threads. As a result, instead of randomly sampling a selection of comments to cross-code, the entire comment sections from three stories were coded. The Mumbai, Quebecor, and Asbestos stories were selected because their comments sections included 159 comments, totalling 10.7% of the total number of comments coded.
Because the variables being coded were measured at a nominal level and averaged about four nominal options per variable, the possibility of random agreement was somewhat high. To address this concern, in order to compare coding results Krippendorf‟s alpha was used instead of a more basic correlation. The level of agreement between the two coders was quite high, with a Krippendorf‟s alpha level of 0.943. These results are within reasonable thresholds established by the literature. Lombard et al(Lombard, Snyder-Duch, &
Campanella Bracken, 2002) indicate that correlations of 0.90 or above are generally considered to be sufficient for all measures of cross-coder reliability, especially for more conservative measures such as Krippendorf‟s alpha. Before delving into the results of this content analysis, let us look briefly to the content of the stories in question.
The Stories
These 11 stories originated in seven different cbc.ca news sections. Three were filed in the Canada section, two each in Money and Health and one each from the Sports, World, Politics and Technology and Science sections. The number of comments on each story ranged from 38 to 290. This is within one standard deviationof the average number observed in the pilot study mentioned in Chapter 3. Because the content of the stories is so central to commenting behavior, a short summary of each follows.
Canada wants lead in Haiti reconstruction: This story, filed in the CBC‟s Politics section, was posted to the CBC website on Friday, January 22. It deals with negotiations between the Canadian government and the Haitian government about a potential leading role
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for Canada in Haiti‟s reconstruction process. Because it deals with Canadian international aid activities and the accompanying issues of national responsibility and tradition this story provides an ideal place for national consciousness and identity discussions.
2 Canadians jailed for trying to help Tamil Tigers: This story was posted to the CBC‟s Canadian news section on January 23. It deals with the sentencing in the USA of two Canadian citizens charged and convicted with trying to buy arms for Tamil Tiger military activities in Sri Lanka. This story was selected because it deals with sensitive issues such as immigration, national allegiances, diasporic identities and terrorism. As such, it offers a unique forum within which to discuss Canadian consciousness and identity.
UFC champ takes punch at Canadian health care:This story was uploaded to the CBC website‟s Health section on January 21st. Health care has long been central to Canadian identity. Tommy Douglas, the founder of what has become Canada‟s national health care system, was voted the Greatest Canadian of all time by CBC viewers. Health care has become so important to Canadians partially because it serves to distinguish them from their American counterparts. As such, this story which features an American commenting on Canadian health care, offers the potential for lively discussion about this important aspect of Canadian identity.
Target considers Canadian expansion:This story was uploaded to the CBC website‟s Money section on January 22nd. It covers the potential for the American department store chain Target to expand into Canada. This storywas selected because it deals with the sensitive issue of American corporate presence in Canada and can be reasonably expected to provide a forum for national-type discussions.
Canada bans Baffin Bay polar bear exports:This story was uploaded to the CBC website‟s Technology & Science section on January 22nd. Itcovers a new ban on exporting polar bear parts from the Baffin Bay region of Canada. The small commercial bear hunt relies on American tourists for revenue. The ban on exports essentially puts a stop to the trophy hunting industry. This story deals with a number of issues likely to elicit comments regarding Canadian identity. It addresses issues of Canadian capitulation to foreign pressures, regionalism and Canadian environmental responsibilities.
Haitian adoptees arrive in Canada:This story was uploaded to the CBC website‟s Canada section on January 25th. Itcovers the arrival in Ottawa of a planeload of adoptees
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Canadian immigration and Canadian international aid programs.Canadian pleads not guilty to Mumbai massacre:This story was uploaded to the CBC website‟s World section on January 25th. It deals with many of the same issues as the earlier story covering the sentencing of two Tamil Tiger supporters. As such it provides us with an opportunity to compare how the two discussions deal with the controversial issues of immigration, terrorism and national allegiances.
U.S. printer to swallow former Quebecor World:This story was uploaded to the CBC website‟s Money section on January 26th. Itcovers the purchase of Quebecor World – the printing division of major Canadian media corporation Quebecor. It is somewhat similar to the earlier story covering the potential for Target to expand into the Canadian market.
However, it deals with the even more controversial issue of American takeovers of Canadian corporations.
Charest may face asbestos protests in India:This story was uploaded to the Health section of cbc.ca on January 29th. Itcovers Quebec Premier Jean Charest‟s coming visit to India and the potential for protests due to Quebec‟s history of asbestos exporting. This article deals with both regionalism and Canadian responsibilities to the international community.
Asbestos has long been banned for use by Canadian construction industries. However, Canada – Quebec in particular – remains one of the world‟s largest exporters of Asbestos.
This story provides a venue for CBC users to discuss these issues.
Family weeps as soldier's body returns to Canada: This story was uploaded to the Canada section of the CBC website on January 19th. It covers the repatriation of Canadian Sergeant John Faught, killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Since 2001 the war in Afghanistan has occupied an important place within Canadian national discourse. Canada‟s military role in Afghanistan and the accompanying casualties often spawns discussions revolving around national traditions and responsibilities.
Hughes named Canada’s Olympic flag bearer: This story was uploaded to the CBC‟s sports section on January 30th. It covers the announcement of Clara Huges as Canada‟s official flag bearer during the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
As a sporting story with a national focus, this item was chosen because of its potential to unite commenters behind the Canadian Olympic team. Clara Hughes is an accomplished Canadian
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CBC users to discuss her, the Olympics and Canadian sport.Descriptives
The average comment within the sample was 61 words long (Table 4.2), with the stories showing significant variation in comment length. The less controversial Olympic Flag story – where many commenters simply left notes of encouragement – averaged around 37.5 words in comment length. On the other hand, the UFC Health, Haitian Adoptee and Polar Bear stories – which allelicited disagreements between commenters and more in depth responses to both the story and one another – garnered comments averaging over 70 words apiece.
Table 4.2: Comment Length
Examining commenting behavior demonstrates that the vast majority of commenters left only one comment and did not engage in sustained conversations. Table 4.3 displays the number of users who left specific numbers of comments. As we can see fewer than 4% of users left 4 or more comments, slightly less than 5% left 3 comments, 13% left two comments, and 79% left only one comment. These numbers are inclusive of the entire comment sample, so some of those who left multiple comments did so in different comment threads.
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Number of Comments Number of Users Percent Cumulative Percent
14 1 .09 .09
Table 4.4 cross-tabulates the stories by comment types. The overall percentages demonstrate that a full 70% of comments were monologic in nature. Twenty-one percent were responsive dialogue comments. Four percent were mutual discourse, while 5% of comments were of the responsive monologue type. There was significant cross-story variation in the type of comments made.
Table 4.4: Story * Type Cross tabulation
Story Type